REGARDING Mrs H Hamer's remarks (Letters, September 10), yes, it is easy to blame Tony Blair for the present shortages of teachers, doctors, etc.
But, unfortunately, if she examines the time scale for training these people, she will find that the rot set in years ago, long before he came to power. I admit that he seems to have done little to improve the situation.
The problem seems to be that, today, schools are being treated like production lines and the children seen as empty packages to be crammed with information, with a contest at the end to see which 'factory' can get the most into the package.
The same can be said of hospitals, with patients being regarded as throughput rather than individuals, with rewards being given to doctors who achieve the greatest output, regardless of quality.
Unfortunately, throwing money at the problem will not provide the solution. Only a long-term strategy agreed between all the political parties will provide any hope for the future.
L LAWES, Bold Street, Blackburn.
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